


Fall

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Partners [45]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Autumn, Dear heaven Danny has some serious issues with self-worth and anxiety, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 18:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16289465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: It struck Danny that Steve had probably never had the full autumn leaf experience.





	Fall

"I'm warning you now, this was probably a really dumb idea." Danny glanced over at his husband, sitting blindfolded in the passenger's seat. It struck him suddenly that, from the outside, it probably looked like Steve was being kidnapped. "Since I'm already aware of this, I want you to be completely honest with me when we get there."

"I'm sure I'll love it," Steve said easily, as patient as he always was when he wasn't being an absolute lunatic. Hell, the lunatic aspects of this were probably why he was so comfortable with it. "I'm just wondering why we couldn't take the kids along with us."

"We could have, technically, but giving Ma uninterrupted time with the kids while we're in Jersey tends to lessen the chance that she'll take a surprise flight out to Hawaii." He kept his eyes on the road, grateful that they'd somehow managed to avoid traffic for once. Staring at some asshole's bumper was not something he was prepared to deal with right now. "And you have no idea if you'll love it. If you don't, I'd rather you just tell me than make that face when you're trying really hard to be polite but secretly feel like whatever's going on is the worst thing ever."

Steve turned to him, lifting the blindfold to give Danny an almost wounded look. "I have never _once_ made that face at you." Then he paused. "Okay, I _may_ have made that face without realizing it before we got together, but only when I asked if you wanted to do something and didn't realize you already had a date planned."

Danny had a brief, fierce wish that he could remember what Steve's face had looked like in any of those moments. "You hardly ever make that face at anyone, because you're a freak who's used to suffering. But that doesn't mean you won't make that face at some future point."

Because damn it, even if this somehow _wasn't_ a stupid idea he should have done it years ago. They just never seemed to come _out_ here around autumn, at least not as a whole family – Danny sometimes had to fly out to put out family-related fires – and so he hadn't even thought about it. His family had stopped coming out here when he was about 15, and he and Rachel never even considered it.

But then he'd seen a picture of the lake on Bridget's Instagram, the trees blazing with all the colors of a Hawaiian sunset, and it had struck him suddenly that Steve had probably never had the full autumn leaf experience. Growing up in summer-all-the-time Hawaii the way he did, he might not even realize it was an experience _to_ have.

He'd suddenly, desperately, wanted to give that experience to Steve. No matter how dumb an idea it was.

Watching Danny's face, Steve's own expression softened. He reached over and squeezed Danny's leg, so much love in his voice even an idiot could hear it. "Never at you or the kids."

Danny swallowed. When he spoke again, his voice was rough. "Put your blindfold back on."

Steve just grinned, obligingly tugging it back down before leaning back against the seat. "Yes, dear."

When they got to Lake Hopatcong, Danny guided Steve out of the car and walked him towards what he remembered being the best vantage spot by the water. Steve let himself be led, still smiling. "I'm surprised. I can smell water."

"Oh, we're not actually going _in_ it. I spent several happy years on the shoreline while my lunatic family tried to drown themselves." He kept one hand on Steve's bicep and the other on his back, firmly ignoring the curious and occasionally faintly alarmed looks he was getting from passers-by. "I'm going to force you to restrain yourself for the 15 or 20 minutes we're going to be here."

"Plus, no chance of me falling of a cliff." Steve's voice had softened again, implied recognition of the parallel of each of them trying to show the other a special outdoor place from their childhoods. "So there's that."

Danny briefly pressed his cheek against Steve's shoulder. "Cliffs are outlawed in New Jersey. It's a rule."

When they got to the water, Danny stepped to the side at just the right angle to see his face. "You can get rid of the blindfold now." He took a deep breath. "Remember, you do _not_ have to feel bad about not—"

"Danny." Steve cut him off with fond exasperation, already removing the blindfold. "I _told_ you, I...." The words trailed off as he focused on the trees around him, a mixture of surprise and wonder lighting his face. " _Danny_ ," he breathed.

Danny's chest tightened with something too profound to be called relief. A therapist would have a field day with the fact that he was still terrified of disappointing Steve somehow, a problem Steve kept _making worse_ by somehow never being disappointed in him. Danny was pretty sure the law of averages insisted on it happening at some point, even if it turned out to be over something stupid like a surprise trip to see the fall leaves.

But even after all these years, it still hadn't happened yet. Steve was just always _there_ , loving Danny like it was the easiest thing in the entire damn world, and it made Danny want to give him everything he had and then dig around in the metaphorical couch cushions for more. He'd give Steve the moon if he wanted it, but all Steve ever seemed to want was him.

"I realized you probably hadn't ever seen anything like this," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I didn't bring you out here a long time ago."

Steve just wrapped an arm around Danny's shoulders, pulling him closer and pressing his lips against his hair. It felt like more than enough of an answer.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my [original fiction,](https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks) my [blog,](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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